General Information on Fosamax

Fosamax is used to curb calcium loss in the bones. As a result, the drug prevents further bone loss in patients affected by osteoporosis.

The active ingredient in the drug is Alendronate, and it belongs to the category of bisphosphonates.

Fosamax slows down bone loss so that stronger bones can be maintained and chances of fractures are decreased. It is available in an oral liquid form as well as tablets.

Fosamax can also be used to prevent bone loss in post-menopausal women and patients who have been using corticosteroids for a long time.

Side effects of Fosamax

Before you buy Fosamax, inform your doctor if you are suffering from a kidney disease, dental disease, low blood calcium levels, stomach, esophageal or intestinal problem (such as GERD and acid-reflux), difficulty swallowing, or a vitamin D deficiency.

You will need to receive sufficient concentrations of calcium and vitamin D during Fosamax treatment. Therefore, talk to your doctor about the dietary adjustments you may have to make during treatment.

Fosamax may increase the sensitivity of your skin to sunlight. Therefore, avoid getting exposed to the sun for as long time as is possible. Avoid being exposed to other sources of UV light too, including tanning beds and UV lamps. If going out is inevitable, you must wear appropriate clothes that protect your skin from the sun and apply a sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 15.

Symptoms like difficulty or pain while swallowing, heartburn, or stomach pain are commonly experienced by most Fosamax patients. Other common side effects of the drug include stomach gas or fullness, constipation, diarrhea, headache, bone, muscle or joint pain, changes in taste, nausea, or skin rash. Although these are mild side effects of the drug, you should inform your doctor immediately any of these become intolerable.

Some serious side effects of Fosamax include eye pain, eye inflammation, skin rash, constant jaw pain, swelling of the throat or tongue, burning or cramping of the jaw, tarry or black stools, vision changes, excessive vomiting, or swelling of the face, lips, arms, or legs.

Some hypersensitive patients may develop an allergic reaction to Fosamax. Symptoms of such a condition include hives, severe dizziness, difficulty breathing, or swelling or itching of the face, tongue, throat, or lips. Discontinue Fosamax and seek medical attention immediately if you suffer from any of these symptoms.

Dosage of Fosamax

Your doctor will ask you to take Fosamax once a day on an empty stomach. The time of dosage would usually be in morning just after you wake up. If you take the drug at bedtime, your body may not absorb it properly and your symptoms may worsen as a result.

After taking Fosamax oral liquid, you must avoid any solid or liquid food for at least 30 minutes.

Avoid lying down after taking the drug, as Fosamax can lead to throat irritation in some patients. Stay upright so that the drug pass through your throat.

Drug Interactions of Fosamax

If you are also taking any antacid or mineral supplement along with Fosamax, you should maintain a gap of 2 hours between the doses. Also do not buy Fosamax and use it along with NSAIDs, as they may interact with Fosamax and cause stomach irritation or ulcers.

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What is a "Generic" medication/drug?

Generic drugs are medications that have the comparable medicinal ingredients as the original brand name drug, but which are generally cheaper in price. Nearly 1 in 3 drugs dispensed are "generic". They undergo comparative testing to ensure that they are the same as their "brand" counterparts in:

Active Ingredient (e.g. "Pravastatin" is the active ingredient in brand name Pravachol)

Dosage (e.g. 10 mg of the active ingredient)

Safety (e.g. same or similar side effects, drug interactions)

Strength

Quality

Performance (e.g. 10 mg of a "generic" can be substituted for 10 mg of the "brand" and have the same therapeutic result)

Intended use (e.g. both "generic" and "brand" would be prescribed for the same conditions)

What this means is that "generic" medications can be used as a substitute of their brand equivalents with comparable therapeutic results. There are a few exceptions (examples are outlined at the end of this page) and as always you should consult your physician before switching from a brand name medications to a generic or vice versa.

What differences are there between generic and brand?

While generics and brand equivalent drugs contain comparable active ingredients, they may be different in the following ways:

Color

Shape

Size

Cost

Appearance (e.g. the scoring or markings)

The color, shape and size of the medication come from the fillers that are added to the active ingredients to make the drug. These fillers that are added to the drug have no medical use and do not to change the effectiveness of the final product. A generic drug must contain comparable active ingredients and must be comparable in strength and dosage to the original brand name equivalent. Generic drugs can be more cost effective than purchasing the brand name.

Why do generics cost less than the brand name equivalents?

When a new drug is "invented", the company that discovered it has a patent on it that gives them the exclusive production rights for this medication. Once the patent expires in a country, other companies can bring the product to market under their own name. This patent prevents other companies from copying the drug during that time so they can earn back their Research and Development costs through being the exclusive supplier of the product. After the patent expires however, other companies can develop a "generic" version of the product. These versions generally are offered at much lower prices because the companies do not have the same development costs as the original company who developed the medication.

The main thing to realize here though is that the two products are therapeutically comparable. They may look different, and be called something different, but they are required to be have the same active ingredient.

How are Generic drugs tested to ensure quality and efficacy?

The two most generally accepted methods to prove the safety of a generic version of a drug are to either repeat most of the chemistry, animal and human studies originally done, or to show that the drug performs comparably with the original brand name drug. This second option is called a "comparative bioavailability" study. During this type of study, volunteers are given the original drug, and then separately later the generic drug. The rates at which the drug is delivered to the patient (into their blood stream or otherwise absorbed) are measured to ensure they are the same. Because the same active ingredient is used the major concern is just that it delivers the common chemical(s) at the same rate so that they have the same effect. Please note that the methods that the manufacturers use may vary from country to country.